Helping out a friend
by lizzytish
Summary: It's the anniversary of Susan's moms death and Max helps her deal


Disclaimer-I don't own any of the Guiding Light characters, nor the song "One of us is in Love"   
by the Wilkinsons. I am not using this fanfic for money or anything like that.  
  
Note- This takes place on the anniversary of Susan's mothers death. Not all of the facts might   
be true, especially the ones about Max because I don't remember the episodes that had to deal   
with the subject. But here it goes  
  
  
Susan sat on the roof crying, holding her doll. Her dad, Jim, was off with Beth and the baby   
somewhere. Susan was alone in the house.  
  
"He probably doesn't even remember what today is." She said to herself crying.  
  
Today was the day her mom had died, not Harley but the mom who had adopted her. She had   
thought with each passing year it was getting easier. But this year with her father and with   
Lizzie getting diagnosed with Leukemia, and wondering if she was going to die like Susan's mom   
had, this year had been almost as hard as the first year anniversary of her death. And here it   
was the 4th.  
  
"God, why does cancer work like that. Lizzie lived, and mom died?" Susan questioned,   
she squeezed her doll.  
  
The doll was special to Susan. Her mom had gotten it for her when she was 7, the year   
she was diagnosed with Cancer. But then it went into remission for 2 1/2 years. Then it hit   
again and hit hard. Susan remembered it all to well. Her mom's frequent visits to the   
hospitals and clinics, the chemo and radiation treatments. She watched her mom loose her   
beautiful Brown curly hair and eventually die.  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Max stood outside the flower shop. He had bought a single rose for Susan. He knew it was   
the 4th anniversary of her mother's dead. And he knew how hard it was to lose a mom. His   
mother had died and he still felt the pain. Though he hadn't really known her for long, his   
mother that is, because she had left. But he remembered the loneliness knowing that she was   
gone and having no one there to love him. He knew Susan needed as much love as she could that   
day.  
  
As he got in his car their song, One of Us is in Love by The Wilkinson's played. He sang   
along a bit. Finally he reached the Lemey's. He noticed that Jim's car wasn't in the   
driveway. He went to the door anyway. He rang the bell about 3 times and there was no   
answer. He was about to walk to his car when he heard the crying.  
  
Susan hadn't seen Max pull up in his car. She hadn't noticed anyone at all until he called   
up to her.  
  
"Susan, are you up there?" Max called as he climbed the terrace to the roof.   
  
"Yeah." She said as she saw him coming up.  
  
"Susan what's wrong?" Max asked as he sat next to her and hugged her.  
  
"He didn't even remember Max. He acted like he didn't even know what today was.' Susan said   
hurt.  
  
"Wha... What? Who didn't remember what?" Max asked trying to calm down Susan.  
  
"Dad didn't even remember today was the day mom died. He just left and went with Beth and   
the Baby to the Spaulding's." Susan said bitterly.  
  
"Maybe... Maybe he just forgot Susan, or maybe he's planning something later, It's the first   
time he's married to Beth on the day your mom died. Maybe he didn't know how to handle it   
Susan." He said trying to think of an answer that would comfort her.  
  
"She was his wife, Max, Beth can't replace her. She was my mom." Susan said crying. "Every   
year we go and light a candle at church. But have we yet? No. Not at all. And I can't go   
there alone. And I haven't seen her grave in so long."   
  
"I know Susan, no one wants you to forget her. She was your mom. But maybe your dad can't   
face it, maybe he feels guilty, like he doesn't deserve to remember her because marrying Beth   
was like forgetting her." Max said trying to make his words make sense to her. "Isn't that   
what you think, what you thought. Well maybe he's feeling that to that your mom in a way is   
mad at him for marrying Beth and he's afraid to remember her now."  
  
"I know but still." Susan said not finishing her sentence. Max knew what she was going to say   
anyway.  
  
"Do you want me to take you to the church?" he whispered in her ear  
  
"What? You would do that?" she asked him  
  
Instead of answering he kissed her and handed her the rose he was going to give her.  
  
"Thank you Max." she said as they got up and crawled through her window.  
  
Downstairs....  
  
"Let me just leave my dad a note." Susan said.  
  
'Dear dad, I can understand if you feel weird about mom's death today. At first I thought you   
forgot but Max helped me realize that you never could. We went to light the candle at church.   
I'll light one for you to. I'll be back. Love Susan."  
  
"Ready?" Max asked as he got Susan's Coat for her.  
  
"Yeah." She said as the headed out the door  
.  
  
The Church...  
  
The church was empty and quiet. Susan and Max made their way up to the altar. Max   
tightened his grip on Susan's hand. He knew how this must have been paining her. Whenever   
he went to his mom's grave his stomach hurt.   
  
"Are you sure you want to do this Sus, and not wait for your dad?" Max asked for like   
the 20th time since they had left the house.  
  
Susan nodded and reached for one of the long matches as they reached for the altar.   
  
"Mom if your there, I miss you so much. Sometimes I wish you were here with me. You   
would love Max, he's great. Dad couldn't be here. He's with Beth. She's okay but sometimes   
it feels like she's trying to take your place but no one ever will. I know you were the one   
that helped Lizzie with her Chemo. And I hope that you are okay. Please watch over me and   
know that I love you so much." Susan said as shelit one candle. "That one's from me and this   
one's from dad." She said as she lit the next candle. 'I love you." She said as she blew out   
the match.  
  
As Susan turned around Max hugged her. "I love you Susan' he whispered in her ear.  
  
"I love you to Max, thank you." She said.  
  
They walked out of the church with Max's arm around Susan's shoulders.  



End file.
